Wing-barred Seedeater
Encyclopedia
The Wing-barred Seedeater (Sporophila americana) is a passerine
bird
from coastal regions of north-eastern South America
in north-eastern Venezuela
, the Guianas, Amapá
and north-eastern Pará
(with a single record from Maranhão
), Brazil
, and along the Amazon River
upstream to around Manaus
. Formerly, it included the mainly Central American Sporophila corvina and the west Amazonian
S. murallae as subspecies
, in which case the combined species had the common name
Variable Seedeater. Following the split, this common name is now restricted to S. corvina.
resemble adult females.
seedeaters, it mainly feeds on seeds, but has also been observed taking flowers, buds and fruits.
It remains fairly common in Suriname, French Guiana and parts of Brazil, and is therefore considered to be of least concern
by BirdLife International
and IUCN. It is rare to uncommon in Venezuela and Guyana where threatened by trapping for the wild bird trade.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
from coastal regions of north-eastern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in north-eastern Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, the Guianas, Amapá
Amapá
Amapá is one of the states of Brazil, located in the extreme north, bordering French Guiana and Suriname to the north. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south and west is the Brazilian state of Pará. Perhaps one of the main features of the state is the River Oiapoque, as it was once...
and north-eastern Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
(with a single record from Maranhão
Maranhão
Maranhão is a northeastern state of Brazil. To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean. Maranhão is neighbored by the states of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent...
), Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and along the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
upstream to around Manaus
Manaus
Manaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination....
. Formerly, it included the mainly Central American Sporophila corvina and the west Amazonian
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
S. murallae as subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
, in which case the combined species had the common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
Variable Seedeater. Following the split, this common name is now restricted to S. corvina.
Description
It has a total length of approximately 11 cm (4½ in). Adult males have a relatively heavy black bill. The upperparts are black, except for a greyish rump (actually white finely streaked black, but only visible up-close) and two distinct white wing-bars (the lower often reduced). The underparts are white, except for a broad black pectoral collar (sometimes reduced and incomplete) and blackish mottling to the upper flanks. The far duller female has a brownish bill, dull buffy-olive upperparts and pale olive-ochre underparts. JuvenilesJuvenile (organism)
A juvenile is an individual organism that has not yet reached its adult form, sexual maturity or size. Juveniles sometimes look very different from the adult form, particularly in terms of their colour...
resemble adult females.
Ecology
Found in open or semi-open grassy areas and shrub. Usually seen in pairs or small flocks. As other SporophilaSporophila
Sporophila is a genus of Neotropical birds in the Thraupidae family. The seed finches are sometimes also included in this genus.They are relatively small with stubby, conical bills adapted for feeding on seeds and alike...
seedeaters, it mainly feeds on seeds, but has also been observed taking flowers, buds and fruits.
It remains fairly common in Suriname, French Guiana and parts of Brazil, and is therefore considered to be of least concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
and IUCN. It is rare to uncommon in Venezuela and Guyana where threatened by trapping for the wild bird trade.
External links
- Photo gallery - Mangoverde.
- Photo of male (listed as Sporophila corvina [sic]) - VIREO
- Photos and text (listed as Variable Seedeater [sic]) - Bird in Suriname.